Ok...wow. This is now one of my all time favorite books. I went back and re-read it again after reading it, which is always a sign I loved the book, but honestly I could read it again and again.

This isn't your normal Regency romance. It doesn't have house parties and seasons and shy debutantes. It's set in India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (yes I had to Wikipedia this - and her account of the rebellion seems quite accurate). The heroine is a spirited girl who just lands in India after surviving the shipwreck of her passage over and losing her parents in that shipwreck. She catches the eye of the Marquess of Holdensmoor who happens to be the cousin of her wretched betrothed and a quarter Indian - the shame! The rebellion is about to come to fruition and the Marquess is warning everyone but no one will listen. The action and drama that occurs from here is so captivating. I appreciate so much that this is the backdrop for this book. I like books when they are set in exotic locales, for one, and when there is action and intrigue that brings the hero and heroine together, it seems more exciting.

Well, for sure, there is quite a lot of drama in this book and the feeling that they'll never get together of course happens, but it is in no way predictable. There was major chemistry between the two main characters, and the love scenes were also captivating. My favorite part in this book is when they finally let themselves go:

"His sudden pause brought her eyes open. He held himself over her, breathing hard, and as the moon finally emerged from the clouds, it revealed some complex and impenetrable thought on his face. For an unnerving second, she felt the space again, the immensity. It seemed to open between them. She became aware of the silent weight of the ruins, the broken pillars towering in shadow beyond his head.

And then he backed away from her and came up on his knees to strip of his tunic."

Honestly, I don't know why the last sentence is so hot, but seriously, this simple sentence was the turning point for both of them and just awesome.